Sport and wellness tourism are one of the most promising and fastest growing fields of today’s tourism. In the past years, wellness and well-being have become an integral part of people’s lives, and these new lifestyles are also effecting on people’s travel habits. Travelers want to focus more on their personal health and well-being even on a holiday. For many, the basic concept of a holiday is not enough anymore, and they are looking for something more meaningful, and different kinds of activities, experiences, ways to improve oneself and transformational elements are becoming more wanted.

The thesis is commissioned by Apollomatkat, which is one of the biggest tour operators in Finland. The objective of this thesis is to find out what are the customers of Apollomatkat looking for from an active holiday, and what features are seen as the most interesting and the most important. The thesis also concentrates on finding out the strongest and the weakest points of the active holiday selection, and what marketing actions should be done to increase the interest and awareness of active holidays. The theoretical framework of this thesis consists of definitions of sport and wellness tourism, details about the history, main customer segments and why the trends have grown significantly during the past years. The theory describes changed motives of today’s travelers, and what factors are effecting on the growing interest towards healthier lifestyles and wellness. The research in this thesis was conducted with two research methods, quantitative customer survey and participant observation in Playitas Resort, which is one of the biggest sport resorts in Europe.

Based on the results of the research, active holidays as a concept are still quite unfamiliar, and majority of people haven’t yet experienced an active holiday but are still showing a great interest towards them. The most appealing form of an active holiday was one including both sport and wellness services, and especially highlighting the importance of relaxation and outdoor and nature experiences. Reviews and experiences from other customers were hoped, since for many it’s still unaware that for who active holidays are suitable for. The results give a good overall of the attitudes towards active holidays, and what kind of actions could be done to improve the concept.